ATV rider killed in Pike County

META — A Kimper man is dead following an all-terrain vehicle accident in Pike County last week.

According to Kentucky State Police, Post 9 received a call Thursday of a single-vehicle ATV accident on Bent Branch Road at Meta.

KSP investigators say Clay Maynard, 40, of Kimper, was traveling north on Bent Branch Road when the ATV he was operating left the roadway, overturned, and came to a rest in a creek. Maynard reportedly suffered fatal injuries in the crash.

Thursday’s ATV crash was one of six reported in the state of Kentucky during last week, and the second such ATV accident to occur in Pike County during the same time period. The collision remains under investigation by KSP Trooper Shannon Jones.

Through Oct. 7, preliminary statistics compiled by the Kentucky State Police indicate that 550 people have lost their lives on Kentucky roadways during 2012. This is five fewer than reported for this time period in 2011. Of the 424 motor vehicle fatalities, 241 victims were not wearing seat belts.

According to KSP, 11 of the 13 people killed in ATV wrecks were not wearing a helmet.